Sunday, August 16, 2015

I assume this is the footage where Totilas performs with noticeably uneven hind legs -- heartbreaking to see, yet even injured he is spectacular. The subsequent diagnosis, a bone infection in his hoof, must have been painful -- but he looks so game.

3 comments:

Latest reports say the infection is chronic and difficult to cure--and yes, painful. I hope they retire him and give him some turnout time just to be a horse. He deserves it.

It upsets me to think he is in pain. Poor guy. He was trying so hard to please despite it all. Hard to believe Rath didn't notice something didn't feel right. Apparently one of the pre-ride vets didn't want to pass him for soundness and was overruled.

MR was so elated, so visibly joyous, that I think/hope he somehow did not notice -- or, he convinced himself if the judges didn't see it, it must not be there. If I were him I'd feel I had something to prove, that I had not "ruined" T. There was an article where the owners/T reps whined about how much trouble they'd gone to to get him soun. This horse had problems, and Edward G was either very lucky or so excellent as a rider than he minimized the joint stress through superb balance, making him sound, or appear sound.

I fault the judges more than the rider, if T was allowed to compete lame. I found the lameness to be rather strange not really "gimpy" and good strides mixed in with bad -- however, it was clear, even on the video.

Could be too that Rath was so used to feeling it, he thought it was normal. He's had a lot of negative feedback since taking over the ride on Totilas, so yes, he did have something to prove. The test would have had higher scores if the horse had been sound.

Too, sometimes erratic steps can be caused by bad riding....bridle lameness...so the judges might have scored lower suspecting that since the horse passed the initial vetting for soundness. At that level of competition, judges would be less likely to halt a test. Even at the lower levels, I've had judges tell me after the test was over that my horse "wasn't quite right," and perhaps I might consider scratching from the rest of the competition...which I did. Turned out to be a very subtle foot issue I'd just kind of accepted as his "way of going." Of course, that was training level, but still.....

No matter what, is is a sad end to the whole affair. It may well mark the end of the horse's career. As I said, I hope, in retirement, they give him some turnout so he can actually have some time to just be a horse. He's worked hard and earned it.